Hooking up a Trailer - Did You Know This?

[Jim Koepke]

My son-in-law sent me this video > https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fqd5LJndlsQ < showing a technique for making hooking up a trailer easier.

Having the cameras sure makes parking easier with an oversized truck.

jtk

[Jerome Stanek]

There is not a no camera

[roger wiegand]

I have no clue what I'm looking at there-- what's making those yellow lines? Are they important? Is the camera stuck up on the tailgate? Why is this better/easier than a camera you put just above the hitch on the rear bumper or license frame?

Hooking up a big trailer (900 lb on the hitch, so immovable by hand) when I had a camper on the truck got two orders of magnitude easier when I put a camera on the back of the truck. I mounted the camera to a magnet so I could move it to wherever it would do the most good.

[Bill George]

All my recent trucks were fine the way it was, camera was perfect.... perhaps he should change brands? My last two trucks were Toyota.

[Larry Edgerton]

My Ford camera is just fine and it does make it easier. I just wish I could turn the camera on when in drive so I could keep an eye on my boat when I have the camper on.

[Tom M King]

No camera and hooking up a gooseneck by myself for years. I just sight over the middle row of diamonds on top of the toolbox and judge the distance behind the toolbox by eye. These gooseneck trailers won't budge a bit, so room for error is at most a half inch. If I did much pulling with a bumper pull trailer I've have to break down and spend the time to install the backup camera. I didn't see anything impressive about the video.

[Jim Becker]

The last four vehicles I've owned have had good backup cameras which all coincidently focus right on where the ball is. So other than putting a white line on the black bulldog connector on the horse trailer I used to own so it was easier to see in shadow, I generally can back the ball right under the trailer's connector first time, every time. But I can see how the technique in the photo helps with certain vehicles, getting the camera pointed in the right place.

[Lee Schierer]

I've hooked our trailers to our 2012 Pilot since it was brand new using the back up camera.

[Roger Feeley]

Roger,
oem backup cameras generate those lines to show you the right and left sides of your car. Mine has lines on it to show ideal parking distance and stop distance. Newer ones even curve the lines to show you how turning the wheel affects you. These backup cameras are one of those things you never knew you needed but won’t give up. Right up there with tv remotes.

[Jim Becker]

Roger, my vehicles not only have the lines but they have a nice red X right where the ball will be going.

[Jim Koepke]

There is not a no camera

That might fall under doing it with mirrors.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

My Ford camera is just fine and it does make it easier. I just wish I could turn the camera on when in drive so I could keep an eye on my boat when I have the camper on.

I believe Chevys have that, but it can be distracting when driving. The load in the bed can be checked. There are also cameras so it can see around what you are towing.

jtk

[Jerome Stanek]

I really never needed a camera to hook my trailers up just use the mirrors and feeling when you are far enough back. Been towing trailers for 55 years

[Malcolm McLeod]

... so I could keep an eye on my boat when I have the camper on.

I've driven lots of company trucks, but just did the truck shopping world tour for my first personal truck, with no history bias ("my Daddy drove a ___, and so do I!'), and IMO GMC is leading the pack with regard to cameras. Depending on trim level, they have up to 8: 1-Over the hood/front bumper; 2-rearview in tailgate; 3-hitch in tailgate; 4-bed monitor (top/rear of cab); 5/6/7/8-(2ea) in sideview mirrors, you can monitor each tire separately (flats, parking, or tire line for off-road). Plus a plug on the rear bumper for another camera kit that can be placed 'in' a trailer (monitor livestock?) or 'on' the rear of trailer to maintain 360deg perspective - or the boat.

I really never needed a camera to hook my trailers up just use the mirrors and feeling when you are far enough back. Been towing trailers for 55 years

I've never 'needed' one either, but a bit like A/C, they sure are nice.

[Bruce Wrenn]

No cameras, but I use the "GOAL" method. "GOAL" stands for "Get Out And Look." One of the first lessons on backing in a CDL school. Been towing for over 50 years now.